In the story of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain uses many different types of symbols to get Twains numerous messages across. Twain signifies the Mississippi river as a symbol to get away from society for Huck and Jim. Twain also criticizes the way society runs and the things it teaches everyone to be. The river vs. land setting in Huckleberry Finn symbolizes Huck’s struggle with himself versus society; Twain suggests that a person shouldn’t have to conform to society and should think for themselves.
Throughout the novel, Mark Twain shows the society that surrounds Huck as just a little more than a set of degraded rules and authority figures. When the new judge in town allows Pap to keep custody of Huck, adopters are things he doesn’t need and doesn’t care for. Twain gives Huck the power to think for himself, and come to adult conclusions, which show Twains message; think for yourself. Mark Twain’s book Huckleberry Finn is for the reader to interpret for him or herself.
But any reader could pick up on Huck’s struggle with the freedom the Mississippi River gives him, and the society that holds him back. Huck realizes that he shouldn’t have to conform, and he refuses to at the end of the book. Huck’s trials and tribulations show the reader that he or she to think for themselves and not conform to societies standards from Huck’s time period, or now. Mark Twain creatively invents many settings throughout The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; each setting effects the characters in different ways. One of the many motifs throughout the novel is the idea of freedom versus slavery.
The Term Paper on Huck Finn Mark Twain 4
... religious practices. The conflict between society and the individual is a theme portrayed throughout Twain's Huckleberry Finn. Huck was not raised in ... most somber of religious traditions. Mark Twain uses his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, to express his views and ... his readers. In his novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain uses such literary devices as satire, humor, and ...
Through various incidents, lifestyles, and character developments taking place on land and water, Mark Twain is able to create two opposing worlds; i. e. one of freedom verses one of enslavement. Twain determines the characters’s itu ations in life in accordance with each location and surroundings. Huck and Jim are constantly moving between these two worlds. For the most part, both are presented with the luxuries of freedom and serenity while on the river, which ends up changing both of their characters for the only as more of person, but a reliable friend.
The reader gets a sense of Jim’s kindness when he is willing to stand watch all night so Huck can get some extra rest. His true nature is revealed as a result of the rivers’ freedom, something that society lacked to provide him with. It is clear that the river and shore are greatly responsible for the outcome of the novel. Mark Twain uses the plot developments alongside with the characters’ lives to mold two worlds that not only serve as settings, but also symbolize the enslavement Huck and Jim are trying to get away from, and the freedom they succeed in obtaining.
